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The number of cruise liners set to visit Orkney over the next two seasons has already topped 100.

Seventy four cruise ships have so far booked to visit the islands during 2012 – with 2013 shaping up as a bumper year as well.

Princess Cruises has just made three additional bookings, taking the number of port calls already in place for next year to 32.

The 32 liners have a combined gross tonnage of 1.8 million tonnes and will be carrying 44,000 passengers and 14,000 crew in total.

Those booked for the 2012 season have a combined gross tonnage of 1.6 million tonnes and together will have 43,000 passengers on board.

“I am pleased that Orkney continues to be an attractive destination for cruise liners,” said Councillor Jim Foubister, chair of Orkney Islands Council’s Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

“The gross tonnage figures are important to the Council’s Marine Services section as they dictate the level of port charges applied to each vessel.”

For the 2012 season, the average number of passengers per ship is just over 500, but next year this increases by almost 60%.

Kirkwall was named as the best British port of call in the 2010 UK cruise industry awards – and the islands as a whole were the UK’s top destination for cruise liners in 2010 and 2011.